FED UP [Xxx]

(...continued...)

                She led the way as they went towards the entrance of the building. Mrs Biodun opened the door and they went into the sitting room.

  “Have a seat,” Mrs Biodun said to Mabel.

  “Thank you ma.” Mabel replied as she sat down. “Your house is nice o,”

  “Thank you,” Mrs. Biodun replied. “You haven’t been here before?”

  “I have been here only once and it was in the night.”

  “Ok the day I asked you to get a document I forgot at the office?”

  “Yes ma.”

  “You refused to come inside that night.”

  “It was getting late and I was in a hurry to get home.”

  “That’s right.”

                Mrs. Biodun flipped the channel on the Television.

  “What will you like to watch?” she asked.

  “Anything you put,” Mabel replied.

                She left an entertainment news channel.

 “What about your kids?” Mabel asked.

  “Their dad took them out. They should be on their way back anytime soon.”

  “You didn’t go with them?”

  “No o. I have to make dinner.”

  “You don’t have a house help?”

  “I have never had one.”

  “That’s amazing. Why?”

  “I don’t have strength for issues.”

  “I understand what you mean,” Mabel said, laughing. “So how have you been coping?”

  “My husband and I agreed on it before we got married. We have been doing things by ourselves. The ones I can’t do, he helps me do. Then from time to time, my husband’s elder sister’s kids come around for weekends or holidays. They are big enough to help me out and they always do.”

  “Wow. And it does not affect your work at all.”

  “My dear, I grew up the hard way. I am a toughened woman o.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes o. Original Kpako brought up.”

  “As fine and tushed up as you look? No way.”

                They laughed.

  “I am serious o,” Mrs Biodun said. “My mum was a local hustler and I did a lot of hard work with her to support the family. My dad too was a disciplinarian and made sure I did all I was meant to do in the house. Not to mention our days of hunger and suffering.”

  “But you don’t look it at all,” Mabel said.

  “My dear, God’s blessings can transform a person.”

  “Money especially.”

  “My parents made sure I went to school no matter the cost and no matter what they had to give up. Their effort is paying off now, and I am forever thankful to God for them.”

  “Eiyaa.”

                All the while, Mrs Biodun had been standing. Then she went towards the refrigerator in her dining area.

  “What do I offer you?” she asked.

  “Nothing ma,” Mabel said. “Don’t stress yourself.”

  “You can’t say you will not take anything.”

  “I am not really in for anything now. Maybe just water.”

  “You can’t come to my house and take only water. What about yoghurt? The one I have is very nice.”

  “Ok. I can take it. My sister even asked me to buy one for her.”

  “Take three then; one for you and two for her.”

  “Ok. Thank you ma.”

                Mabel got up from the seat and went towards her in the dining. Mrs. Biodun opened the fridge and brought out the yoghurt.

  “Check the cupboard for nylon bag,” Mrs Biodun told her.

  “Ok.”

                Mabel checked and brought out one. She put two bottles of yoghurt inside the bag, opened one bottle and sipped as she went back to sit down. Mrs Biodun also sipped one as she sat beside her on the couch.

  “So how have you been?” she asked Mabel.

  “Not doing too good but I am getting better,” Mabel replied. “It has not been easy at all.”

  “I know how you feel. People in the office were asking after you today.”

  “Ok. I guess they must have heard the full gist.”

  “Different people heard different things o. You know how rumour is. No one gets the authentic information.”

  “What are they saying?”

  “Some said someone broke your heart. Some said you snatched someone’s husband and then you were caught and you ran. Some even said you took company money and ran away.”

                Mabel broke into laughter. She laughed really hard and almost choked on the yoghurt.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac

FED UP [Xxix]

(...continued...)

As they got close to Mrs Biodun’s house, Mabel’s phone rang. It was her mother. She picked but she wasn’t hearing well.

  “Hello…hello,” she kept saying.

Then she heard her mother calling her “Mabel Mabel”, with a worried tone. Her heart jumped into her stomach.

  “This one my mum is sounding like this,” she said “Who knows what happened?”

  “It could be network,” Margret said. “Try calling her back.”

                Mabel tried severally but her mother’s number was not going through. Her palms were getting wet with sweat and a bit shaky.

  “Oh God what is this na?” she said.

  “It may not be something serious,” Margret reassured her.

  “I hope so o.”

  “Should I turn back?”

  “Lemme try calling Cynthia first and know.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel dialed Cynthia’s line and she picked.

  “Is everything ok?” Mabel asked in a hurry.

  “Yes,” Cynthia replied. “Why are you asking?”

  “Mummy just called me now and she was sounding somehow.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Is she there with you?”

  “No she is outside. Let me call her.”

                Cynthia called her mother who answered from the backyard. She came and took the phone from Cynthia.

  “Mummy is there any problem?” Mabel asked.

  “There is no problem o,” her mother replied.

Mabel heaved a sigh of relief.

  “Then why were you sounding as if something happened?” she asked.

  “I wanted to ask you whether you have the balm with you so I can massage Cynthia.” 

  “And I was thinking something happened?”

  “Why will you think so?”

  “The way your voice sounded when you called me.”

  “The network has been bad. I wasn’t even hearing you.”

  “You just need to change your network provider.”

  “The thing is tiring. Are you with the balm?”

  “Yes I have the balm here with me. I will bring it back when I come. Is Cynthia complaining of pain?”

  “Not seriously.”

  “No problem then. I will not waste time.”

  “Ok.”

  “Don’t forget my yoghurt o,” Cynthia shouted from the background.

                Mabel hung up.

  “You see,” Margret said to her. “You would have given yourself high BP for nothing.

  “My dear,” Mabel said and sighed. “These past few days have not been easy at all.”

  “I understand. It will get better with time.”

                Margret got to the entrance of Mrs. Biodun’s house and parked.

  “You can find your way from here right?” she asked Mabel.

  “Yes,” Mabel replied. “Thanks a lot dear.”

  “Make sure you don’t stay too long. Cynthia needs to start her drug as soon as possible, and she may have needs only you can solve.”

  “I know. Thanks.”

  “I will talk to Segun.”

  “Whatever.”

                They side-hugged and Mabel stepped out of the car. She stood for a while and waved as Margret drove off. When Margret’s car was out of sight, Mabel went to the gate of Mrs Biodun’s house. It was a self contain apartment with a big gate. She pressed the door bell and waited. No response. After pressing for a while and no one came to open the gate, she called Mrs Biodun on phone. Mrs. Biodun wondered where the gateman was and said she was coming to open the gate herself. Moments later, the pedestrian gate opened.

  “Good evening ma,” Mabel greeted Mrs Biodun.

  “Evening my dear,” Mrs Biodun replied. “Come in.”

  “Thank you ma.”

                Mabel went in and she locked the gate behind her.

  “How are you?” she asked Mabel.

  “I am fine ma,” Mabel replied.

Mrs Biodun noticed the customized take-away drug pack she was holding.

  “Are you the one taking all those drugs?” she asked.

  “No ma,” Mabel replied. “My younger sister.”

  “Ah ah. What is the matter?”

  “We have been in the hospital all day.”

  “What is wrong with her?”

  “She is not too strong.”

  “Eiyaa. How is she now?”

  “She is fine though she has not yet started taking the drugs. At least we know what the problem is.”

  “You should have informed me so we can reschedule.”

  “It’s not a problem ma. I am here already.”

  “Ok. Come with me.”

                She led the way as they went towards the entrance of the building.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac

FED UP [Xxviii]

(...continued...)

An okada man drove past her speedily. It was so sudden that Margret lost control of the steering. She got the car under control almost immediately.

  “Yeye okada people.” She said angrily. “That is how they kill themselves.”

  “The person he is carrying is not even bothered,” Mabel said. “Imagine

  “Don’t mind them.”

                Some driving distance later, they saw an accident scene by the road side. The same okada man who overtook them speedily had collided with a car negotiating a turn, apparently in a bid to overtake from the wrong side.

  “You see,” Margret said and slowed down. “What reckless okada riding can cause.”

  “What these people do to themselves is terrible,” Mabel said.

  “And their passengers also.”

  “Always in a hurry to nowhere.”

  “Should we stop and see what happened?” Cynthia asked.

  “You forgot I have an appointment with Mrs Biodun,” Mabel answered her.

  “Who knows whether anything happened to them?”

  “Look at them by the side of the road,” Margret pointed at the okada man and his passenger standing by the side of the road with their cloths torn, bloody and dirty.

  “Thank God they are still alive sef. I hope they learn their lesson.”

  “Learn indeed. They never learn anything.”

                The accident caused hold-up momentarily as people stopped their cars to know what happened. Pedestrians also stood to watch the events unfold.

  “Whenever anything happens, people will leave where they are going and stand to watch,” Margret said.

  “As if it is a movie,” Mabel added.

  “How do I pass this hold-up now?”

                Margret honked her horn for the people and vehicles in front of her to move. They adjusted and she meandered through the human and vehicular traffic and drove on. When she got to the street where Mabel’s mother lived, she slowed down.

  “I have forgotten the exact house,” she said to Mabel.

  “Where you have been to several times?” Mabel asked her.

  “Forgive me. All these houses look alike.”

  “Keep going. I will tell you where to stop.”

When they got close to the house, they saw Mabel’s mother standing at the gate, still wearing the clothes she went to work with.

  “Isn’t that your mum,” Margret said.

  “Yes,” Mabel replied.

  “So that must be your house.”

  “Yes it is. Park by the side of the road.”

  “I hope area boys don’t charge for wrong parking here?”

  “Not on this street.”

Margret parked well and they came out.

  “How are you,” their mother said as she walked towards them.

They greeted her.

  “Maggie how are you?” she said to Margret.

  “I am fine ma,” Margret replied.

                She turned to Mabel and asked, “What took you so long?”

  “Hospital process,” Mabel replied. “We were even lucky. If not for Dr Obinna, things would have been more stressful for us today.”

  “God bless him for me.”

                She held Cynthia close.

  “How are you?” she asked Cynthia.

  “I am fine o,” Cynthia replied.

She turned to Mabel and asked, “So what did the doctor say?”

  “Cynthia will tell you when you go in,” Mabel answered. “I have to go see my office supervisor and also get the drugs prescribed for Cynthia.”

  “Ok. You need some money to buy them?”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

                Cynthia and her mother turned to enter the compound

  “Should I get anything else for you?” Mabel called after Cynthia.

  “My yoghurt,” Cynthia replied.

  “Ok.”

  “Or better still,” her mother said. “Just get her some fruits.”

  “I will get both.”

  “Byebye ma,” Margret said.

  “Byebye my dear,” Their mother said. “Greet your people for me.”

  “They will hear.”

  “Thank you so much,” Cynthia said to Margret.

  “No wahala,” Margret replied. “Get better ok.”

                Mabel and Margret entered the car as she drove off.

  “You will be going home from here right?” Mabel asked Margret.

  “Nope,” Margret replied. “We get the drugs, I drop you off at Mrs Biodun’s house and then I can leave you for today.”

  “Aww. That’s so nice of you.”

  “You deserve much more from me. What are long time friends for?”

  “Yes o.”

                They got to a pharmacy and Margret parked. Mabel went in with the prescription note, she got the drugs for Cynthia and they continued to Mrs Biodun’s house.

  “Do you need to call her so she will know you are on your way coming?” Margret asked Mabel.

  “I think so,” Mabel answered. “Lemme call her now.”

Mabel dialed Mrs Biodun’s line and she answered. She told Mabel to come, that she had been waiting for her. Mabel hung up.

  “Wheew,” Mabel exhaled and sunk into her seat. “What a day.”

As they got close to Mrs Biodun’s house, Mabel’s phone rang. It was her mother. She picked but she wasn’t hearing well.

  “Hello…hello,” she kept saying.

Then she heard her mother calling her “Mabel Mabel”, with a worried tone. Her heart jumped into her stomach.

(...to be continued..)

Nedu Isaac

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas begins with CHRIST. 

May the reason for the coming of Jesus be seen in your life and family. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 




In the spirit of the season, the following books are yours to enjoy. Just click and enjoy

FED UP

THE UNCLE NEXT DOOR 

AGAINST THE TIDE

FED UP [Xxvii]

(...continued...)

He shook his head and brought out his prescription paper.

  “I will write an antibiotic for you now,” he said.

  “But Dr Obi,” Mabel said. “Is it not better to wait for the culture?”

  “The antibiotic I will prescribe is broad spectrum. She can start it, then if the culture shows resistance to it, I will change drug for her, but it is unlikely.”

  “Ok.”

                He wrote an antibiotic and some other drugs for Cynthia to take. Then he gave them the prescription note.

  “The pharmacy here in the hospital is closed by now,” he said. “You can get them in any other pharmacy. Just make sure you check their expiry dates.”

  “Thank you so much,” Mabel said as they got up to leave.

  “Meanwhile, Cynthia, avoid lifting heavy things for now and you have to observe right posture. It is very important. Continue with the massage and pain relievers. It will help with the back ache.”

  “Ok,” Cynthia replied. “Are there things I should avoid because of the infection?”

  “Use a properly cleaned toilet, stay away from sexual intercourse, take a lot of clean water, a lot of fruits and vegetables.”

  “And I will be fine?”

  “Yes you will be fine. At least we discovered it on time.”

  “Thank you so much Dr. Obi.”

  “What about getting a folder?” Mabel asked as they got to the door. “Will it be necessary?”

  “Yes I will do that for her,” Dr Obinna replied. “I have her personal data already.”

  “Ok. Thank you.”

                Dr Obinna saw them off to the car where Margret was waiting for them.

  “Come back in three days time,” He told Cynthia. “Let me know how you are doing and by then, the culture result will be out.”

  “Ok.”

  “Come with your friend too,” he said pointing to Margret.

                They laughed.

  “Please greet your wife for me,” Mabel said.

  “She will hear,” he replied.

                Mabel and Cynthia entered the car and Margret turned on the ignition.

  “He is a nice man,” Margret said as they she drove out.

  “Yes but he is married o,” Mabel replied.

  “And so?”

  “Don’t go there. His wife is a prayer warrior. She is one of the prayer leaders in the women wing in church o.”

  “I have seen praying mantis people many times o. No shaking.”

                They laughed.

  “Continue,” Mabel said. “Until you start seeing people flogging you in your dream.”

  “Don’t mind me,” Margret said. “I am kidding o.”

  “I for say.”

  “I am in a serious relationship now by the way.”

                Mabel turned in her seat and looked at Margret.

  “You,” she said. “In a relationship?”

  “Yes o,” Margret replied. “I am o and I think he is the one.”

  “Finally, Maggie will settle down.”

  “Yes o. Finally.”

  “So who is the lucky guy?”

  “I met him at the airport few months ago.”

  “Really?”

  “He is everything I want in a man. Rich, tall, handsome and very caring.”

  “Wow. Congrats.”

  “Thank you my sister.”

  “So when did he pop the question?”

  “He has not said it yet officially yet o, but he said I am the kind of woman he will love to marry.”

                Mabel laughed long and hard.

  “Men sef,” she said.

  “And women who will not shine their eyes,” Cynthia said.

  “Not this one,” Margret insisted. “He is the real deal. He has not even asked for sex.”

  “He is just bidding his time my dear,” Mabel said.

  “You can’t be so sure.”

  “I wish you all the best o. But please use your head. Don’t give him your heart yet. Keep it to yourself.”

  “And your laps too,” Cynthia added.

                They laughed.

  “That one will be hard o,” Margret said.

                They drove past a pharmacy.

  “We just passed a pharmacy,” Mabel said.

  “Oh you were not given drugs at the hospital?” Margret asked.

  “No. Their pharmacy had closed by the time we were done with the doctor.”

  “Ok, should I stop and turn?”

  “Don’t worry. There is another one close to my house.”

  “Mabel remember your meeting with Mrs Biodun,” Cynthia said.

  “Don’t worry about her. You are more important to me.”

  “I know. But if she doesn’t see you, she may think you are dodging her.”

  “She is right,” Margret said.

  “Ok so what do we do now?” Mabel asked. “I can’t go there with you. You need to go home and rest.”

  “I don’t mind going with you,” Cynthia said.

  “I mind. We will drop you off in the house then I will go and see her. I will then get the drugs on my way back.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel turned to Margret and said, “You have really tried for me today. What would I have done?”

  “Don’t mention,” Margret said. “What are friends for? At least I got to hear the true version of what happened.”

  “So you can now tell the whole world that Segun is a…” Cynthia started and didn’t finish.

  “Fool,” Margret finished for her.

  “It’s not me that said that o.”

  “I will talk to him.”

  “I am over him,” Mabel said and looked out of the window.

  “Story for Simbi. You still have feelings for him.”

  “Please look where you are driving. Feelings ko feelings ni.”

                An okada man drove past her speedily. It was so sudden that Margret lost control of the steering.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac

FED UP [Xxvi]

(...continued...)

Cynthia’s heart beat faster as they followed him back to his office. Margret waited in the first office while Mabel and Cynthia followed Dr. Obinna into the main office. In his office, Dr Obinna asked them to sit. He sat too and brought up the scan result sheet.

  “You got them from the lab by yourself?” Mabel asked him.

  “Yes I went there myself,” he replied. “I didn’t want them to close without getting the basic results ready. At least we can have an idea what we are dealing with here.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “So what is wrong with me?” Cynthia asked, still worried.

  “It is nothing to panic about,” Dr Obinna said.

                He looked at the scan very well.

  “Everything is fine here,” he said and kept back the result.

  “Thank God,” Mabel said.

  “So why am I having the pain?” Cynthia asked.

He took up the next result.

  “I see something from the urinalysis.”

                Cynthia’s heart skipped.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Infection.  And the signals from your kidney show that it has found its way there.”

  “Oh God!” Mabel exclaimed.

  “Is it kidney failure?” Cynthia asked, teary.

  “Very far from that. Remember you said you experience some itching and so on.”

  “Yes from time to time.”

  “And you have never taken antibiotics as a result of it?”

  “It has been more than six months I took one last.”

                Dr Obinna shook his head.

  “So what do we do?” Mabel asked.

  “You will have to give another urine sample so they will culture it for growth of the bacteria doing this. This is so we can know the drugs it is sensitive to and the ones it is resistant to.”

  “Can we do it now or do we go and come back tomorrow?” Mabel asked.

  “You can do it now before they close. Let me call them to hold on for few minutes.”

                He called the lab and they said they were already closing. He asked them to hold on for few minutes. They were reluctant but agreed. He filled a lab form and gave Mabel.

  “Please hurry,” He said to Mabel and Cynthia. 

  “Ok.”

                Mabel and Cynthia left in a hurry for the lab. Margret saw how briskly they walked and ran after them.

  “What is the problem?” she asked when she caught up with them.

  “He wants her to run another test,” Mabel told her.

  “What is going on?”

  “My sister, I don’t know o.”

  “What is he saying?”

  “We don’t understand what he is saying yet.”

                They got to the lab and met a lab attendant. He collected the form from Mabel, directed her to the cashier for payment and gave Cynthia urine bottle. When they were done, they left the lab. As they walked back to Dr. Obinna’s office, tears flowed down Cynthia’s cheek.

  “Why are you crying?” Mabel asked her.

  “So I now have kidney problem,” she replied.

  “Is that what the doctor said?” Margret asked.

  “It is just an infection,” Mabel said.

  “It is not something serious then. He will tell you what to do.”

                Margret put her arm round Cynthia’s neck and told her not to worry, that she would be fine. When they got to the Dr Obinna’s office, Mabel and Cynthia went in.

  “Let me wait for you in my car,” Margret said. “So I don’t lose my tyres.”

  “Ok.”

                In the office, they met Dr Obinna talking with his second who was carrying her bag, apparently about going home. He asked them to sit while he gave the lady instructions for the next day and she left.

  “Did they attend to you at the lab?” he asked when he was done talking to the lady doctor.

  “Yes they did.”

  “So is the kidney problem what is causing the back ache?” Cynthia asked.

  “I never said you have kidney problem o. It is just an infection that can be cured with the right antibiotics.”

  “Ok.”

  “But can it be the cause of the pain.”

  “It is not enough to cause such pain.”

  “What else again?”

  “The pain is most likely a muscular/nerve originated.”

  “O God! Is that another sickness?”

  “No. Do you carry heavy things?”

  “Chuka is quite heavy,” Mabel said, smiling in a bid to ease Cynthia’s tension. “Do you carry him?”

  “Mabel please stop,” Cynthia said. “I just carry the normal things in the house.”

  “What is your sitting and lying posture like?”

  “She sits and lies down anyhow o.” Mabel said. “She does not observe good posture at all.”

  “But it is still not enough to cause such persistent pain,” Dr. Obinna said. “Unless you have carried something heavy in the past that caused sudden sharp pain.”

  “Yes I have,” Cynthia said. “When I was living in school.”

  “I think that is the source of the pain. Then your bad sitting or lying posture aggravates it.”

  “I think it was the bucket I carried from the second floor to the ground floor of your house that made it resurface o,” Cynthia told Mabel.

  “Oh you are right,” Mabel said. “So sorry about that.”

  “And we wasted time and money running tests for nothing.”

  “It is not for nothing o,” Dr. Obinna said. “At least we have demystified the pain and also discovered a silent killer at work.

  “So what do we do now?”

                Dr Obinna looked out of the window for a while, in thought.

  “We need to know where this infection is coming from,” he said and turned to Cynthia. “Do you have unprotected sex?”

  “No o,” Cynthia replied.

  “What about your boyfriend?” he asked Cynthia.

  “I broke up with him long time ago. He was cheating on me.”

  “Hmmm,”

  “What about Chuka?” Mabel asked. “Is there something going on?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you sure you are not seeing someone else now?” Dr Obinna asked.

  “No one. I am in my finals. I need to concentrate.”

                He shook his head and brought out his prescription paper.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac

FED UP [Xxv]

(...continued...)

                They went to another bank. There weren’t much people there at the ATM section so Margret stopped. They saw a young lady who had just used the ATM, coming out. They asked her how things were. She told them there were three working ATM machines. Mabel alighted and went in while Margret found a good spot to park. She and Cynthia pressed their phones while they waited for Mabel. In less than five minutes, she was out.

  “This is what a bank should look like,” Mabel said as she entered the car. “Quick service.”

  “You withdrew?” Cynthia asked.

  “Yes.”

  “This particular bank doesn’t have as much customers as other banks,” Margret said.

  “It has nothing to do with ATM,” Mabel said.

  “You are right.”

                Margret turned on the ignition.

  “Where do we go from here?” she asked. “Do we still go to the fast-food restaurant?”

  “How many minutes more do we have?” Cynthia asked Mabel.

  “From the time we left the lab,” Mabel answered. “We have forty minutes before the results are out.”

  “Maybe we can just buy what to eat as take-away when we get to the fast-food,” Margret suggested. “So we can meet up.”

  “I think so too,” Mabel said.

                Mabel opened her handbag, counted out the money Margret had used to make up for the lab bill and offered to Margret. Margret looked at her, looked at the money and hissed.

  “I thought I told you not to bother about it,” she said.

  “But…” Mabel began to say.

  “But what?”

  “But you can give it to me,” Cynthia said.

  “Thief,” Mabel said.

                They laughed. Mabel put the money back in her bag.

  “My dear keep your money o,” Margret said as she drove off. “What are friends for?”

  “Thank you for everything.”

  “Especially for driving us upandan,” Cynthia added.

  “That’s true sef,” Mabel said. “Who has been in your shop since you have been with us?”

  “Have you forgotten I have workers?” Margret said. “Even if I don’t come today, they know what to do and how to keep records.”

  “What about that thief? Have you fired her?”

  “You mean my staff that was stealing my money?”

  “Yes.”

  “I fired her since. You think I will leave the shop if she was still around.”

  “I was wondering.”

  “Don’t bother yourself. I already planned to spend a greater part of today with you. I told them to call me if there was a problem.”

  “Ok. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.”

                When they got to the fast-food restaurant, they placed orders of what they wanted to take away. When the sales girl calculated the bill, Margret and Mabel reached their hands into their handbags. Mabel was the first to bring out money and she practically threw it at the sales girl.

  “You sef,” Margret said and laughed. “Why did you do that?”

  “Let me take care of this one,” Mabel said, laughing too.

  “Let’s split the bill.”

  “No. I insist I take care of this one.”

  “Ok oo. If you say so.”

  “Do we get anything for Dr Obinna?” Cynthia asked.

  “Does he look like he needs anything?” Margret said. “They have canteen in the hospital na.”

  “Let me call him and find out,” Mabel said.

                Mabel called Dr Obinna and asked him if he wanted anything. He told her not to bother, and told her to hasten up and return.

                They took the food in take-away packs and left for the hospital. They got there ten minutes to the time they were told to come back for the result. Mabel opted to go and collect the result while Cynthia and Margret sat back in the car to eat. Some minutes later, she came back without the results.

  “They said some are not yet ready,” she told them. “They asked for fifteen more minutes.”

  “What about the scan?” Cynthia asked.

  “Everything will be written together.”

  “Ok. Did you tell Dr Obinna?”

  “He was attending to a patient when I went to his office.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel sat in the car and started eating her own food.

  “This back pain will not let me enjoy this food,” Cynthia lamented as she ate.

  “In fifteen minutes we will know exactly what the problem is,” Mabel told her.

  “I hope it is not something serious.”

  “I doubt.”

                They ate in silence for a while.

  “We have not spoken with mummy since the last time she called,” Cynthia suddenly remembered.

  “It is true,” Mabel said and reached for her phone.

                Mabel called their mother. She asked her the situation of things. Mabel told her how far they had gone. She told Mabel that her phone battery died so there was no way she could call them, that she just charged it in a shop close to her office. Mabel told her that they would come to the house from the hospital. She gave Cynthia the phone and Cynthia spoke with her in a worried manner. She reassured her that she would be okay. Then she cut the call.

  “She must really be worried,” Margret said. “First it was you, now Cynthia, in less than a week.”

  “Yes she is worried,” Mabel said. “As much as she tries to hide it, I know she is.”

                From the rear mirror, Margret saw Dr Obinna waving at them, trying to get their attention.

  “I think the doctor is calling you,” she told Mabel.

                Mabel came out of the car and waved at him. He gave her a sign to come.

  “He is calling us,” Mabel told Cynthia.

                Cynthia came out, Margret locked the car and they went towards Dr Obinna.

  “The main results I need to have a diagnosis are out.” He told them when they got to him. “I can see you with them.”

                Cynthia’s heart beat faster as they followed him back to his office.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac

FED UP [Xxiv]

(...continued...)

  “I don’t like what I am suspecting,” He said to Mabel and shook his head.

  “What is the problem?” Mabel asked.

  “I will send her to run some tests in the lab before I can say for sure.”

  “Doctor Obi what is wrong with me?” Cynthia asked sounding worried.

  “Don’t worry,” Dr Obinna reassured her. “Whatever it is can be handled.”

                He wrote out lab tests for Cynthia to run.

  “Should I add scan?” he asked rhetorically.

  “Scan?” Cynthia asked.

  “Don’t let it scare you. I just want to know how things are inside your tummy region. Sometime, issues there can radiate pain to the back, even though it is not likely in your case because you are not showing some symptoms.”

  “Ok.”

He filled a scan form for her and handed the forms over to Mabel.

  “Where do we go?” Mabel asked.

  “Show it to the lady doctor you met earlier,” he replied. “She will direct you.”

  “Will the test results come out today?”

  “The basic ones will come out today.”

  “Even at that, you know it is afternoon already. All these lab attendants can behave somehow at times.”

  “Not in this hospital o. But just so you will be convinced, give me the forms.”

                Mabel gave them back to him, he wrote ‘urgent’ on them and handed them back to Mabel.

  “How much do you think the tests will cost?” Mabel asked.

  “Mabel you are asking too many questions o,” Dr Obinna said, smiling. “The earlier you go there, the better o.”

  “I need to know if I am prepared to bear the cost. You know how expensive these things can be.”

  “As long as I am here, you don’t have any problem.”

                Dr Obinna took the forms again and wrote ‘50% off the cost’ and signed. He handed it over to Mabel.

  “Any more questions?” he asked, smiling.

  “No,” Mabel replied. “Thank you so much.”

  “You are welcome.”

  “I hope you will still be around when the results come out?” Cynthia asked.

  “Sure,” Dr Obinna replied. “I am not going anywhere till we get to the bottom of this.”

  “Ok thank you.”

                They left. The worry on Cynthia’s face remained there as she walked behind Mabel.

  “What is wrong?” Margret asked when they met her. “What did the doctor say?”

  “He sent Cynthia to run some tests and do a scan,” Mabel replied. “We will find out after that.”

                They gave the forms to the lady doctor who took them to the laboratory section. The lab cashier went through the forms and told them how much the tests and scan cost.

  “You are to remove 50% from the total cost,” the lady doctor told her.

  “Says who?” she asked.

  “It is there. Signed by Dr Obinna.”

  “Ok.”

                The cashier looked at what Dr Obinna had written, nodded her head and then told Mabel how much was left to pay. Mabel brought out her purse and checked how much she had.

  “I don’t have up to that here,” Mabel said. “Do you use POS?”

  “No we don’t,” the lab cashier answered.

  “Do you accept part payment? I will go and use an ATM now and pay the balance before the results come out.”

  “No. Our policy here is ‘pay before service’.”

                Mabel sighed.

  “Don’t worry,” Margret told her. “I will make it up.”

                Margret opened her bag and brought out the amount required to complete what Mabel had.

  “Thank you so much.” Mabel said to her.

  “You are welcome.”

  “I will pay you back when I use the ATM.”

  “It is not necessary.”

Mabel paid the cashier. Then Cynthia was led into the sample collection room. They took her blood and urine. Then she was directed to the scan section where she did what she was asked to do and did the scan. They were told that all the results would be ready in an hour thirty minutes time.

  “Should we go back to Dr Obinna’s office or should we wait here for the result?” Cynthia asked Mabel.

  “Let me find out what time they close.”

                Mabel asked a lab attendant who told them that the labs will close in about two hours time. He advised them not to go far if they wanted to leave the hospital.

  “It is better to stay around o,” Margret advised. “If you are not in sight, they may forget you need your result urgently.”

  “But we can’t stay here,” Mabel said.

  “Let’s go to Dr Obinna’s office then.”

                Mabel told the lab attendant that they are still in the compound and will come back for the result in an hour thirty minutes time. He reassured them that the results would be ready by then. They left for Dr. Obinna’a office. They met him standing outside with a friend.

  “How did it go?” He asked them when he discharged the friend.

  “They asked us to come back in an hour thirty minutes time,” Mabel said.

  “Ok. Do you want to wait or do you want to go somewhere and come back?”

  “We will wait.”

                He turned to Cynthia and asked how she was feeling.

  “In pains,” Cynthia replied.

  “Did you come with the balm?”

  “Yes,” Mabel answered and opened her bag. “It is here.”

  “Hold on.” He told Mabel and then turned to Cynthia, “Cynthia, is the pain unbearable?”

  “Not really.”

  “Can you manage it till the results come out?”

  “I think so.”

  “I will prefer we wait until the result come out so we will know exactly what we are dealing with and apply the right treatment.”

  “Ok.”

  “Let’s go get something to eat,” Margret said to Mabel.

  “Thanks dear but I am not hungry,” Mabel told her.

  “I am o,” Cynthia said.

  “Will you like to use the canteen?” Dr Obinna asked them.

  “No o,” Margret said. “I don’t do canteens.”

  “Ok. There is this fast-food not very far from here. You can try them.”

  “You can go with Cynthia,” Mabel said. “I will wait for the result to come out.”

  “No. You two can go and bring back take-away for me,” Cynthia suggested. 

  “You can all go.” Dr Obinna told them. “I will monitor the lab for you.”

  “Thank you so much.”

                They left for the fast-food restaurant.

  “I will need to use an ATM,” Mabel said as they drove off.

                Margret drove to a bank close by. The crowd of people waiting to use the ATM was too much.

  “Do you want to wait or do we try somewhere else?” Margret asked her.

  “Let’s try somewhere else,” Mabel answered. “Remember, we don’t have much time.”

                They went to another bank. There was no queue. Mabel entered and came out almost immediately.

  “What happened?” Cynthia asked.

  “Their ATM machines are temporarily out of service.”

  “These banks sef,” Margret said and hissed. “If we can’t find one, we leave it till we are done with the hospital.”

  “Let’s try one more,” Mabel said.

                They went to another bank.

(...to be continued...)

Nedu Isaac